A variety of copper base alloys have been proposed in the past in attempts to fill the need for a metallic composition capable of displaying a desirable combination of high mechanical strength properties and high electrical conductivity. Among these, copper alloys consisting of copper alloyed with 0.08 to 0.7% by weight of titanium and 0.05 to 1% by weight of antimony have been described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,773,505 and 3,832,241 to Donald J. Nesslage and Lin S. Yu, as capable of maintaining moderately high mechanical strength while overcoming undesirably low conductivities.
However, these patents teach that the addition of up to a total of about one percent of titanium and antimony, in a proportion of 0.3 to 0.8 parts by weight of antimony per part by weight of titanium and antimony, increases the ultimate tensile strength, but that on further addition of these ingredients beyond one percent, the gain in strength is less significant. Further, it is stated that the titanium content of the alloy should be about 0.1 to 0.2% by weight for greater emphasis on conductivity and about 0.3 to 0.4% by weight for greater emphasis on tensile strength.
In accordance with the present invention, it has been found that improved copper base alloys may readily be prepared, contrary to the above-recited teachings and indications, which are capable of displaying significantly higher strength properties and excellent conductivity values, by the provision in the copper base alloy of substantially higher proportions of titanium and antimony, and that a portion of each of these elements may effectively be replaced by one or more like elements.